Folding chair with folding seat



March 21, 1961 s. J. GEDRIS ET AL 2,975,825

FOLDING CHAIR WITH FOLDING SEAT Filed May 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 5. JAMES GEDRIS WILLIAM A. GEDRIS Y MM ATTORNEYS March 21, 1961 5, GEDRls ET L 2,975,825

FOLDING CHAIR WITH FOLDING SEAT Filed May 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 3. JAMES. GEDRIS BY WILLIAM A. GEDRIS United States Patent FOLDING CHAIR WITH FOLDING SEAT Stanley .lames Gedris and William A. Gedris, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignors to Ideal Seating Cpmpany, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 2,1958, Ser. No. 732,543

7 Claims. or. 155-142 and therefore prove uncomfortable after a short period oftime. Another disadvantage is that the whole chair must normally be folded to collapse the seat member. This proves inconvenient when it is desirable to stand and move back to allow someone to. pass through the aisle between a row of chairs. a r I .l-

Folding chairs are required tobe of sturdy construction. Theyare repeatedly folded open and closed. Although the foldingoperationmay be simple to one .acquainted with the operation of the chair, the chair is often handled by persons inexperienced as to exactly how itis opened or folded to aclosed position. i a

A folding chair is required to be of sturdy. construction for reasons of stability. The chair must be capable of receiving and supporting persons of exceptional-weight. The chair must not wobble or shake in its erected. form. The folding parts of the chair should be few in number and each should be strong and sound.

The chairs should each be collapsible/t0. minimum depth so that they can be stacked together and .will take very little space. If arm members are providedv the arms must also be collapsible withthe chair'andmust be disposed so as to not interfere with the stacking of the chairs. 7 It is an object of this invention to .discloseiafolding chair which'has arms and a separately foldable seat as Well as all the other advantages just mentioned.

The folding chair of this invention is of exceptionally sturdy construction. A single piecestabilizer bar is provided 'to hold the leg members in properly spaced position relative to each other. The legs are each pivotally engaged to the stabilizer bar and the bar is instrumental in the folding and erecting of the chair. Only two other connecting links are required to tie the legs together and such links also serve an additional purpose. a

.The seat member of the folding chair herein disclosed is pivotally mounted between a pair of theleg members. The seat is operable independently of the folding of the chair, The seat may be disposed in a horizontal position, for seating purposes, or may bemoved to a vertically disposed position, back out of the way. The seat includes limit steps which are disposed for cooperative'engagernent' with the stabilizer barto fix the-seat in its usable and retr-acted positions. s a s s i p The arm rests of this chair are conveniently disposed at eachside of the chair when it is erected. The. arms are and folded together. The arm rests include braces which are connected to the pivotal linkage used to fold the chair. The braces and pivotal links are so formed and disposed as to provide secure and stable arm rests once they are erected. At the same time they provide no obstacle in the folding of the chair but rather serve to assist in the folding operation.

These and other objects and advantages will be more apparent in the illustration and description of a working embodiment of this invention, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the chair of this invention, as erected. The seat member, as separately folded back, is shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the chair in position for folding, with the seat member already folded back.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the chair as partially folded.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the chair as folded together.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the chair.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the seat locking feature as seen in the plane of line VI-VI of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

Fig. 7 is an enlargement of one of the seat limit stops.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the chair as erected and looking. at the back side thereof.

Fig. 9 is a reduced perspective view of thestabilizer bar of the disclosed chair.

' The foldingchairof this invention isshownin the drawings to include a back rest meniber'lll. The back rest member is formed from a tubular member 12 formed in an arch or inverted U-shape; A back rest 14 is provided at the apex of the arch and the ends of the arched member forms legs 16 and 118. An arched support 15 is secured between the lower ends of the legs 16 and 18. Rubber foot pieces '20 and 22 are disposed on the ends of. the legs to prevent marring or scatching the floor surface. i v

'The legs ldand 18 are inclined in a forwardly disposed position to provide the front legs of the chair. The inc'lined'disposition of the front legs 16 and 18 causes the upper cross brace of the arched support 15 to be disposed out of the way for adequate foot room. A pair of rearwardly disposed legs 24 and 26 are engaged to the front legs. The back legs 24 and 26 lie substantially in the plane of the front legs. Converging braces 25 and 27 are received between the back legs near their lower ends.

The leg members 16, 18, 24 and 26 are secured together by pivotal connecting links. One of these links includes a stabilizer bar 28. I The'stabilizer bar is shown by Fig. 9; It includes a tubular memberhaving its ends flattened soas to provide a tubular back brace 30 and double thickness flat ends 32 and'34. The stabilizer 'bar extends between the back legs 24 and 26 and is pivotally engaged to them at 36 and 38. Theends of the stabilizer bar extend forwardly and are pivotally engaged to the front legs at 40 and 4 2. The ends 32 and 34 will :be noted to'extend inside of the forwardly and rearwardly disposed leg members. Since these ends are flat they take up very little space. i

Aside from the stabilizer bar 28, pivotal connecting links 44 and 46 are secured between the front and back chair legs. The links are connected to the frontlegs at pivot points 4-5 and to therback legs at pivot points 47. Thes tabilizer bar 28 and the links 44 and 46 hold the chair legs in the converging relation shown by Fig. l,

also neatly folded against the chair when it is collapsed 7 when the chair is erected. Their length and swing radius 3 is such as also allows the compact folding of the chair as shown by Fig. 4. The back legs 24 and 26 include resilient stops 49 on their upper ends. These stops are the part of the back legs which abut and engage the back rest member 10 when the chair is erected.

Rubber foot pieces 48 and 56 are disposed on the lower ends of the legs 24 and 26 just as are provided on the ends of the other legs 20 and 22.

A seat member 52 is pivotally mounted between the front leg members 20 and 22. The seat member 52 includes a seat pan 54 and a seat cushion 56, in the present instance. A plain wooden or plastic molded seat with proper brackets for attachment could be used equally as well.

The seat member 52 is pivotally mounted to the front legs 20 and 22 at the pivot points 40 and 42, which points also serve to receive the forwardly disposed ends of the stabilizer bar 28. A strap member 58 is secured to the sides of the seat pan .54 for further structural reinforce ment at the pivot points 40 and 42. The strap 58 extends forwardly and rearwardly of the pivot points to provide limit stops for the pivotal movement of the seat member.

The rearwardly disposed ends of straps 58 are formed to include a slight upward curve and have their extreme ends 66 bent out of the plane of the straps for engagement with the underside of the ends of the stabilizer bar 28. Referring to Figs. 1 and 6, the outwardly bent end 60 of the strap member is seen to form a stepped shoulder recess 62 within which the flattened ends 32 and 34 of the stabilizer bar are readily received. Thus the seat member is held in a horizontal position for use. The weight of a person received on the seat is taken at the pivot points 40 and 42 and is applied as a force couple about the pivot points, to the ends of the stabilizer bar 28, and holding the back legs 24 and 26 engaged to the back rest member 10 to provide a more stable chair structure.

A stop lug 63 is provided on the forwardly disposed end of the seat pan strap 58. This stop limits the pivotal movement of the seat member to the dotted line vertical position shown by Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 7, the ends .32 and 34 of the stabilizer bar 28 are rounded so that the seatmember 52 can be swung on its pivot axis without interference between the ends of the bar 28 and the stops 63 until the seat is in a vertically disposed position. At such time the stops 63 engage the sides of the bar ends 32 and 34 to limit further pivotal movement of the seat member.

The seat member 52, as described, can be operated p upper ends of the back rest member 10 at the abutment point of such legs therewith.

In folding the disclosed chair the pivotal links 44 and 46, as well as the ends 32 and 34 of the stabilizer bar, swing about their pivotal connections with the front leg member 16 and 18; reference Fig. 3. This causes the pivot points 80 of the bell crank links 44 and 46 to move behind the plane of the back rest member 10. Further folding of the chair causes the arm members 68 and 70 to be folded, by the braces 74 and 76, down against the sides of the back rest 10, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4.

Operation The folding chair of this invention is collapsed or folded together in the following manner.

The chair is leaned back on its back legs 24. and 26 to lift the front legs 16 and 18 just slightly off the floor. The back legs 24 and 26 are held down by stepping lightly on the cross braces 25 and 27 between the back legs. Upward pressure is then applied to the back rest member 10. This is most conveniently done by pulling up on the arch of the tubular member 12 or on the back rmt 14. As the back rest member rises the connecting links 44 and 46, as well as the pivotal links formed by the ends 32 and 34 of the stabilizer bar, swing about the pivot points 36 and 47 on the back leg members. The back rest member and the front legs 16 and 18 move from their inclined relation to the back legs to a position next adjacent and coplanar thereto. The relative movement of the different parts of the chair is shown by Figs. 1 through 4.

In the folding of the back legs 24 and 26, the pivotal links 44 and 46 are activated. These links in turn opon each side of the chair at a convenient level for their intended purpose. The arm rests include arm members 68 and 70 which are pivotally secured to the arched back rest member 10, at pivot points 72; Arm braces 74 and 76 are pivotally secured to the arm members 68 and 70 at points 78. The lower ends of the braces 74 and 76 are pivotally secured to the connecting links 44 and 46 intermediate the ends of such links at pivotal points 80.

The pivotal links 44 and 46 are formed as bell'cranks and have the arm braces 76 and 78 secured thereto at their apices. When the chair is erected the .apices of the bell crank links 44 and 46 he beyond the general plane of the back rest member 10. This isrbest shown by Fig. 1. With the pivot points .80 lying over center of the pivot points v45, any force applied to the extended ends of the arms 68 and 70 applies a force couple to the links 44 and 46 which acts through the crate the arm braces 74 and 76. The bell crank formation of links 44 and 46, as previously mentioned,

enables such links to serve as an over center operating member in having the arm braces 74 and 76 pivotally engaged at the apices of such links. In the folding of the back legs 24 and 26 the pivotal points of the links 44 and 46 will be noted to travel about the swing axis points 45 of such links; reference Figs. 2 and 3. In so doing the arm braces 74 land 76 have their lower ends moved behind the plane of the back rest member 10 and then pulled downward. In pulling the arm braces 74 and 76 down the arm members 68 and 70 are folded down due to the connection of the braces therewith at points 78. The arm members 68 and 70 fold to a position lying substantially in the plane of the back rest member 10, as shown by Fig. 4.

The seat 52 can be automatically folded with the chair. The seat pan 54 is frictionally engaged to the ends 32 and .34 of the stabilizer bar by the offset ends 60 of the limit stop member 58. Accordingly, as the ends 32 and 34 swing about their pivotal connection to the back legs the seat 52 will be carried with them.

The folding chair is erected in the reverse order of the-folding operation just described.

The back legs 24 and 26 are rested on the floor. A downward pressure is applied to the back rest member 10. The back rest member moves down and swings its lower end, which includes legs 16 and 18, out to assume the inclined position shown by Fig. 1. As the links 44 and 46 swing about their pivot points 47 the apex of each bell crank shaped link travels up and over the pivotal connection 45. This pushes the arm braces 74' and 76 up and automatically raises the arm rests 64 and 66 into their. erected position; V The folding seat '52 is at all times operable independently of the folding operation of the chair; with the exception that it cannot be moved when the chair is folded up. Normally the seat 52 is freely pivotal about points 40 and 42, as limited by its stops 60 and 63. When the chair is folded up intheposition shown by Fig. 4, the 'olfset end 60'ofthe seat pan strap 58 is disposed closely adjacent the stabilizer bar ends 30 and 32. The seat cannot swing forwardly due to the stabilizer bar 28 and is prevented from swinging over, or rearwardly, by the front leg brace which is disposed for engagement by the lower disposed back end of the seat 52. Reference brace 15 shown in dotted line in Figs. 3 and 4. i

It will be appreciated that the relative movement of the ends 30 and 32 of the stabilizer bar, with reference to the stops 63, in the collapsing of the chair, is what enables the seat member 5 2 to lie in the plane of the back rest member 10 when the unit is folded together.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described, it will be understood that other modifications and improvements may be made thereto. Such of these modifications and improvements as incorporate the principles of this invention are to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

We claim:

1. A folding chair, comprising; an arched member having a seat back provided at the upper end thereof and the ends disposed to provide forward leg members, a chair seat pivotally mounted between said forward leg members, a pair of rearwardly disposed leg members connected together intermediate their ends, and a U- shaped one piece stabilizer bar for engaging said forward and rearwardly disposed leg members together, said bar extending between said rearwardly disposed legs and being pivotally engaged thereto, the ends of said bar extending forwardly and being pivotally engaged to said forward legs, means at the rearward end of said seat contacting said bar for limiting upward pivotal movement of said rearward end, and a pair of pivotally mounted connecting links connecting said forward leg members to said rearwardly disposed leg members.

2. A folding chair, comprising; support members having a seat back provided at and between the upper ends thereof and the lower ends thereof disposed to provide forward leg portions, a chair seat pivotally mounted between said forward leg portions, a pair of rearwardly disposed leg members, and a U-shaped one piece stabilizer bar independent of said seat for joining said forward and rearwardly disposed leg members together, said bar extending between said rearwardly disposed legs and being pivotally engaged thereto, the ends of said bar extending forwardly and being pivotally engaged to said forward legs, said stabilizer bar and said seat being both pivotally engaged to said forward legs at the same points, means at the rearward end of said seat contacting said bar for limiting upward pivotal movement of said rearward end, and a pair of pivotally mounted connecting links connecting said forward leg members to said rearwardly disposed leg members.

3. A folding chair, comprising; a pair of members having a seat back provided between the upper ends thereof and the lower ends thereof disposed to provide forward leg members, a chair seat pivotally mounted between said forward leg members, a pair of rearwardly disposed leg members connected together intermediate meir ends, and a one piece stabilizer bar for joining said forward and rearwardly disposed leg members together, said bar extending between said rearwardly disposed legs and being pivotally engaged thereto, the ends of said bar extending forwardly and being pivotally engaged to said forward legs, said seat being independently pivotal and including stop tabs extending outwardly therefrom for engaging said stabilizer bar and limiting the upward pivotal movement of the rearward end of said seat, and a pair of pivotally mounted connecting links connecting said forward leg members to said rearwardly disposed leg members.

4. A folding chair, comprising; pairs of interconnected forwardly and rearwardly disposed leg members having a seat member mounted therebetween, a U-shaped sta bilizer bar having side arms, said bar extending between the rearwardly disposed of said leg members and pivotally engaged thereto, the side arms of said stabilizer bar extending forwardly and being pivotally engaged to said forwardly disposed leg members, and separate connecting links disposed between said bar and the upper ends of said rearwardly disposed leg membersand having their ends pivotally engaged to said rearwardly and forwardly disposed legs for guiding the relative pivotal movement thereof in the collapsing and erecting of said chair, said seat member being pivotally mounted between said forwardly disposed legs and being independently operable relative to said leg members, said seat including limit stops disposed to engage the rearward ends of said side arms of said stabilizer bar to limit the upward travel of the rear portions of said seat member.

5. A folding chair, comprising; a back rest member formed to include forwardly extended leg members, a seat member pivotally mounted between said leg members, a pair of rearwardly extended leg members, pivotal connecting links connected to said forwardly and rearwardly extending legs at spaced pivot points, and an arm rest member pivotally connected to said back rest member and foldable with said chair, said arm rest member including an arm brace pivotally connected thereto and to one of said connecting links intermediate the ends thereof at a point spaced from a line joining said spaced pivot points, said point when said chair is erected being forward of both said spaced pivot points whereby pressure on said arm rest holds said link in its erected state.

6. In a folding chair including a back rest member formed to provide forwardly extended leg members, rearwardly extended leg members connected to said back rest member by means of pivotal connecting links and having the ends of said rearwardly extended legs abutting said back rest member when said chair is erected; the improvement of arm rest members foldable with said chair, and comprising; arm members pivotally connected to said back rest member, arm braces pivotally engaged to said arm members, a bell crank connecting link engaged between said forwardly and rearwardly extended leg members and having said arm brace pivotally engaged to the apex thereof, said apex lying over center of the connection of said link to said back rest when said chair is erected for transmitting force on said arm to hold said rearwardly extended legs engaged with said back rest member, and said apex being removed from said over center position in the folding of said chair.

7. A folding chair having arm rests and an independently collapsible seat, said chair comprising; an arched back rest member formed to include forwardly extended leg members, a pair of rearwardly extended leg members connected to said forwardly extended legs, said rearwardly extended legs having their upper ends abutting said back rest member, pivotal links connecting said forwardly and rearwardly extended legs together, one of said pivotal links including a stabilizer bar extended between said rearwardly extended legs and having the ends thereof engaged to said forwardly extended legs, a seat member pivotally mounted between said forwardly extended legs and independently pivotal between horizontally and vertically disposed positions, said seat including separate limit stops disposed for engagement with said stabilizer bar to limit the pivotal movement of said seat, arm members pivotally engaged to said back rest member, arm braces pivotally connected to said arm members, and the other of said pivotal links including bell, crank members having said arm braces engaged to the apices thereof,

said chair as erected having the apices of said bell cranks lying beyond the plane of said back rest member such that a force applied to the ends of said arms acts through folding of said chair and permitting the folding of said arms with said chair.

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